The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

Federal law holds members of the Herbst Academic Center to strict standards of confidentiality. Any academic information that is disclosed by a student-athlete is considered to be confidential. This includes disclosing information about student-athletes to coaches, other athletics staff, the press or any individual who is not associated with the Herbst Academic Center. The release of this protected information is limited to the staff in the Herbst Academic Center ONLY. Tutors, as well as the remainder of the staff, are to abide by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (also known as FERPA). This Act deals directly with the protection of the educational records of student-athletes.

Additionally, tutors should not communicate directly with faculty members or coaches about the students they tutor.

Below are links to additional information to help you gain a better understanding of FERPA.

The NCAA monitors graduation success rates and academic performance rates (APR) but not academic integrity. It is incumbent upon each institution to police themselves in this area. The University of Colorado does so using a student-run organization called Honor Code whose intent is “to establish a community of trust where students do not plagiarize, cheat, or obtain unauthorized academic materials.” (see CU’s rules regarding academic integrity).

The essence of integrity is what one does or the decisions one makes if no one is around or watching. Imagine the little angel sitting on your shoulder scrutinizing your every move. Having integrity in your academic pursuits, whether as a tutor or a student, simply means making good choices. Making good choices in this context boils down to three simple rules: Don’t Lie, Don’t Steal, Don’t Cheat. As a tutor, you have the unique opportunity to model this behavior for the student-athletes you work with and it starts by knowing and understanding what NOT to do.

Plagiarism, Cheating, Fabrication, Aid of Academic Dishonesty, Lying, Bribery, and Threat. These are forms of academic dishonesty that you should be aware of as a tutor (see What is a Violation? for examples of each).

Those students that commit various forms of academic dishonesty usually do so when they feel pressured or unprepared. Please help monitor this by being aware of your student’s deadlines, upcoming assignments, and practice/competition schedules. Most of this can be accessed through your GradesFirst account. If you sense a student has reached panic mode, please reach out to their Academic Coordinator.

The following video does an outstanding job of defining Academic Integrity – and the illustrations are fantastic!